Summer Hope
by Yessica-N
Summary: In which Toriel organizes a BBQ, Undyne is a fire hazard, Mettaton won't get off the table and Sans considers the dangers of believing in a brighter tomorrow. (Post-pacifist ending, One-shot, non-binary Frisk)
**What can I say? There is always room for more post-game fluff with Frisk and their monster family, so have this one-shot.**

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 **Summer Hope**

Even after all these months, Sans could still marvel at how brilliant the sun looked.

All that time he had been looking at the fragmented rocks decorating the underground's ceiling, wishing against hope that one day he could be able to gaze upon the real deal, never much considering the biggest star of all.

And no, he was not talking about Mettaton, who was currently laying flamboyantly across the wooden outdoor table while Toriel was trying to think of polite ways to shoo him back off it, but obviously losing her patience.

It didn't help that the goat monster was balancing plates, cutlery and god knows what else on both her arms AND her head. (would this woman ever stop surprising him?)

But what was he going on about? Ah yes, the sun.

As a skeleton monster, Sans lacked the required nerve endings to physically enjoy the warmth those sun rays could bring, but he certainly could appreciate the brightness. The vivid colors and light it threw over every outdoor scene in such a way as would never be possible down below.

And more importantly, the joy it brought others. Because if there was anything Sans had become highly adapt at during all those weeks (months, years) living the same time frame over and over again, it was second hand happiness.

If he couldn't find pleasure in his own being, he could at least take comfort in that of others, his brother's mostly.

Well, only his brother's happiness, really, seeing as for the longest time that would be the sole thing Sans bothered getting out of bed for in the morning. The only reason for him to keep up a charade that life wasn't some sort of horrible, pointless circle of events that would rip away any vestige of contentment his existence possessed.

But not anymore, and the mere notion still left him reeling a bit. Because now he had the kid, and the little odd-fitting family they had formed for themselves while traversing the underground and a promise that never again would he close his eyes to blink, only to open them again in an all too familiar house in Snowdin.

Sans had always been skeptical of promises, which was one of the reasons he loathed handing them out himself, but with each passing day he woke to the sound of birds chirping and the smell of fresh air his hope grew the tiniest bit.

Which was stupid really, because it was a certain way of getting his belief crushed even more thoroughly when another RESET did happen, as a little voice inside his skull was adamant it would, and what if he wouldn't be able to pick himself up after that.

What if he would just lay down and close his eyes and never dare to open them again because the disappointment would just be too much to handle.

He was pulled out of his dark reverie, or should we say hit out of it, by the frisbee smacking him straight between the eye sockets.

Thank god he had a thick skull, because with his track record, that might as well have been the death of him.

He looked over to Papyrus, grinning like usual. Frisk was looking over their shoulder to where the disc had flew off to when it sailed straight over their head. They were smiling too.

And Sans had the passing notion that his brother would never let the toy sail that high if he had really intended for the kid to catch it, and how Papyrus could be strangely observant when it came to his sibling bumming himself out.

He bend down and picked up the projectile, just as he heard Papyrus yell at him from across the grass field, only slightly louder than his regular speaking voice.

"I am disappointed, brother! I thought you were supposed to be good at dodging!" He was joking (there really wasn't a thing in the entire world that would ever lead Papyrus to be anything but proud of his cool brother)

A facial expression passed over the kid's face, an unsettling combination between remembrance and guilt, but they shrugged it of almost instantly. Especially because Sans had sent the disk sailing towards them.

"I wasn't really paying attention, bro. Just thinking about things. Then, it hit me..." He answered idly, watching as Frisk made an impressive diving catch, rolling through the momentum and ending back on their feet with little effort. Guess the journey through the underground had some positive side effects after all.

Papyrus frowned, waiting for Sans to finish that sentence, before realizing it was a pun and huffing in annoyance instead.

"Hey nerds!" an excited scream interrupted them. "How about we get this thing to work now?!"  
It was as close to asking help as Undyne was likely to get, and Frisk dropped the disc instantly to get in on the action, Papyrus bounding happily behind them.

Sans decided to trudge over languidly as well, seeing as this was bound to get interesting.

Not before using his powers to fling Mettaton of the table in an undignified heap though, getting a grateful look from Toriel for his efforts.

Alphys was holding what looked like a 20-page manual explaining how to operate the grill, and seemed utterly confused by it.

Undyne had forgone the manual completely and was just dropping charcoal into the tub, while Papyrus sprinkled some kind of flammable liquid all over it. Frisk looked about as worried as Sans felt by the sight of this.

The ex-captain of the royal guard looked her handiwork over with obvious pride. "I think it needs more gasoline." She remarked.

"Really, Undyne? Maybe-" But she didn't let Papyrus finish the sentence, instead pulling the canteen out of his gloved hands and upending the entire thing.

"Don't be a wuss, Pap. It looks great!" She dug around in a pocket, pulling out the lighter Frisk had giver her as a present a few weeks ago, a decision the child was starting to regret slightly.

"But the manual says-" Again, Undyne interrupted the voice of reason, this time originating from Alphys, looking even more nervous than usual.

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing." The manual was also snatched by Undyne, unceremoniously deposited on the grill itself to serve as extra kindling.

"I highly doubt that." The small yellow monster muttered, just as Undyne flicked on her lighter and started bringing it down in a deliberate motion.

Frisk had meanwhile taken a few steps back, putting some distance between themselves and the potential inferno just in case, and Sans thought it wise to follow the kid's lead, pulling his baby brother's scarf with him so the three of them were standing a little bit to the side of the possible disaster.

And a disaster it was.

A jet of flame shot out with a sound like a sea evaporating on the spot. (Papyrus's exclamation of "Wowie!" barely loud enough to be heard above the noise)

Alphys was for once happy to be of such a short stature, escaping the blast by an inch. Undyne came out of it with no eyebrows and her entire face blackened by soot, but her larger HP prevented any real damage.

There reigned silence for a few moments, the unspoken 'I told you so' hanging heavy in the air, until they noticed that the larger fire had been just of a momentary existence and the barbecue was quite sufficiently lit, if a bit blackened.

"Undyne!" Papyrus exclaimed, eyes lighting up immediately. "Wowie! That was amazing. You need to teach me how to do this!"

"No, she's doesn't." Sans quickly interrupted, giving the scarf he was still holding onto a warning tug. The regular cooking was already dangerous enough, thank you very much.

Toriel choose that moment to come over and check on their progress, frowning at the scorched face of the fish monster but wisely deciding not to comment.

"We should get something to put on this." She commented, smiling her usual patient smile at Frisk. "What do you want to eat, my child."

They had barely raised their hands to sign a response, or there came a simultaneous cry of "Spaghetti!", both Undyne and Papyrus running towards the house to get the food.

Frisk laughed, shrugging to show they were okay with that, though the technicalities of preparing spaghetti on a grill didn't seem that obvious to them.

Oh well, what they lacked in determination, their monster family more than made up for in resourcefulness.

"Mettaton, I told you to get off the table." Toriel was saying, having turned around to see the robot was exactly where he had been before Sans had flung him across the garden.

"You also told me to get a centerpiece for the table, darling. And I'm the center of everything!"  
He was in his ex form again, one metal leg alluringly poised into the air and head resting on his hand comfortably, like he could keep this up for hours if need be. Frisk was fairly certain he could.

"I was thinking something like... flowers." Toriel was ever the patient one, even when it came to dealing with a diva like Mettaton.

Frisk jumped at the word, smile brightening their features as he skipped further into the garden in search of what their foster mother required.

"What flowers could possibly be as fabulous as me?" Mettaton was asking, somehow sparkling as he did so. "None!" He answered his own question.

Sans was about to throw the guy again, but Alphys just gave her creation the 'If you do not behave right now, I'm not responsible for which pieces of your body will go missing at your next maintenance' look.

The royal scientist had certainly gained some assertiveness since coming above ground. The older skeleton brother was almost certain it was a side effect of hanging out with Undyne so much, feeling slightly giddy at the thought.

He had called that one ages ago.

Frisk presently came back holding a small bouquet of yellow flowers they had picked themselves, putting them on the center of the table, which was already set.

They then went back to their frisbee, demanding the robot celebrity and royal scientist join them, seeing as their previous play mate was busy discussing whether the vegetables should be chopped (read: beaten into pulp) before being thrown into the fire, or if the heat would melt them sufficiently.

Sans and Toriel regarded this exchange for a few moments, before the goat monster sighed deeply.

"Maybe I should just order a pizza." She murmured, as a heavy black smoke began to rise from the grill. (Undyne had decided to skip the part in which you put the pasta in a pot, instead just scattering the noodles among the charcoal)

"Maybe you should..." Sans agreed, smiling in what was almost a content manner. He wished he could pause this instant. This peace and idealism, almost enough to convince him this was how things were meant to be.

That he wouldn't need to fear anymore.

Toriel looked at him with something between amusement and worry, having gotten to know him well enough in the time since meeting face-to-face to recognize his tone. "What? No puns?"

Sans shrugged. "I would, but they're all too _cheesy_."

Her laugh sounded even better when not muffled by a closed stone door in the middle of the forest.

She turned, pulling out her cell phone to see about getting them something edible, as the situation at the grill was looking more dangerous by the second.

Sans sauntered over, to make sure his little brother wouldn't burn himself in this latest culinary adventure.

The air smelled like charred food, golden flowers and hope.

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